Sunday Evening

It was a good day, and has evolved into a quiet evening. I didn't realize how much the noise and traffic were weighing on me until they weren't there.

The traffic is a temporary situation, due to road construction, and will be much better in 48 hours when the nearby road reopens. Then all the north-south traffic won't be diverting onto the little east-west road behind my place. It's my hope that we'll go back to being a sleepy neighborhood, rather than the infield at Daytona.

The neighborhood children seem to have gotten a bit noisier since school started. I find myself wondering if it's a response to school starting last week, or perhaps a sense that winter's no longer that far away, along with the daylight hours growing shorter by nearly six minutes per day. Or, perhaps, that parents have sent the young ones out of the house to burn off some of that pent-up frenzy before bed.

The picture here was taken at 8 p.m. It was only a few weeks ago that I took a similar picture at 10 p.m., but it's dark now by shortly after 9.

The leaves are turning more rapidly, now, and have been falling in small quantities for about a week. We're thinking about such things as when to schedule the winter-tire changeover; putting the studded snow tires on each vehicle is an annual right of passage, it seems. The biggest question is "when?" ... and woe unto those who guess poorly, and the first snow catches them by surprise. Those folks are destined for a loooong wait at the tire shops, as all the last-minute folks rush the counters, hoping to be first. I've gotten to the nearest shop at 6:30 a.m., and found myself 15th in line as we await the 7 o'clock opening. Dress warmly - and bring coffee.

We'll be watching the automotive aisles at Wally World, Sam's, etc., for the booted wiper blades, too. Those not only make a difference in terms of not being frozen stiff by ice and snow, but they're required by law here.

Let's see; what else? We'll stock up on the deep winter washer fluid - the kind rated to minus 35 degrees. Make sure we have blankets and other emergency supplies in each. Put the emergency road kit in my wife's car, since her sedan is arguably more likely to get stuck than my four-by.

It seems a bit incongruous to be making "winter plans" on a late summer evening, with sunshine and 57 degrees at 8:30, but we know this Alaskan version of Indian Summer won't last much longer. AccuHunch is calling for 60 and sunny tomorrow, and then rain and temps in the 50s for the rest of the upcoming week.

But for now, a last look at the puffy clouds hanging over the mountains, and then off to the living room to watch a movie with my wife.

Thanks for stopping by.